There are a variety of video games which include high-scorer displays for recognizing players who have achieved a high score in the game. The displays are usually shown in a format in which the names or initials of eligible players, such as the top ten high-scoring players, are displayed in one column and the scores achieved by the respective players are shown in an adjacent column of the video game display. Generally, competitive players enjoy games with high-scorer displays because, for those who have achieved a high score, the displays provide a record of the players' accomplishments and give them bragging rights in a particular game, at least until such time as they are unseated by other competitors. Similarly, for those players not presently on the display, or for those whose scores are on the display but who wish to improve their score or position, the displays identify target scores which must be achieved to surpass the players presently recognized on the display. Generally, it has been found that player competition engendered by high-scorer displays can attract more frequent play of the underlying games and accordingly, where such displays are incorporated in coin-operated video games, greater revenues can accrue to the owner and/or operator of the game.
Nevertheless, in present-day video games incorporating high-scorer displays, the displays are usually shown for only a limited time during operation of the game. In a typical video game, for example, high-scorer displays are shown only during portions of an "attract mode" sequence in which exemplary video displays, user instructions, scoring information and the like are conveyed to potential players, in addition to high-scorer displays, when the game is not in play. The attract mode sequence, and thereby the opportunity to observe the high-scorer display, terminates when a player starts an active game and does not resume until the player completes the game. Thus, especially in frequently-played games, high-scorer displays may be observed for only a small fraction of the operating time of the game.
Accordingly, there is a need for a high-scorer display system for a video game which provides greater opportunities to view high score information, which provides greater recognition to high-scoring players and which may be displayed during active play of the game. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs.